Good Law | Bad Law #76 - The Makings of a Judicial Nominee W/ Grover Joseph Rees

Aaron Freiwald, Managing Partner of Freiwald Law and host of the weekly podcast series Good Law | Bad Law, is joined by Grover Joseph Rees, a retired US Ambassador, retired Chief Justice of American Samoa, and former General Counsel to the Immigration and Naturalization Service, to talk about the judicial selection process. Mr. Rees was also the chief judge picker in the Department of Justice during the mid-part of Ronald Reagan’s Administration.

Often the media focuses on many of the policies and changes a president wants to make or promises to make while they are in office. But many of those changes can be un-done by another president. One of the few things a president can do that can’t be reversed later is appointing judges to the various federal courts throughout the country.

On this episode, Aaron and Joseph talk about his experience and background having worked under President Reagan as well as his experience working as a law professor at the University of Texas. They also reminisce about an interview Aaron did while working at the Legal Times where he traveled to American Samoa when Joseph was the Chief Justice of that Pacific island nation.

Joseph also weighs in on the performance of his friend and former colleague, John Bolton, who was recently appointed as President Trump’s National Security Advisor. He says that though it’s too early to tell yet, he believes John has a large role in the North Korea negotiations and thinks they’ve had a good strategy for those talks so far.

With Joseph’s experience as a professor, serving as an ambassador, helping advise President Reagan on Judicial nominees, and his experience as an attorney, he is one of the most knowledgeable people to talk about how judicial nominees are chosen. Joseph explains the process starts by looking at the nearly 1700 judicial positions and seeing what seats need to be filled. Then for all of the circuit courts and district courts they will consult with the Senator of that state to find the best candidates.

Join us today as Grover Joseph Rees and Aaron Freiwald talk about the Judicial nomination and selection process.